


Dark Flowers

by Hatsumomo_Fay



Category: Fae Tales - not_poignant, Original Work
Genre: F/F, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-02 17:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2820698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatsumomo_Fay/pseuds/Hatsumomo_Fay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eleven year-olds Eliza and Millie are best friends with one thing in common, they are both orphans who dream of escaping the horrible orphanage to find a family that loves them. But one day during recess, the girls stumble outside the orphanage grounds and into a hidden realm filled with beautiful silver fairies. Finally, they feel loved and accepted but the more they venture to the realm, the more things start to change and suddenly, it's too late to run away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm trying to get this novel published! Please tell me if you love it or hate it!

“Eliza, stop it, you’re gonna get in trouble,” eleven-year old, Millie, cautioned, as she watched with anxious eyes for her friend to finish the prank. Eliza, also eleven, rolled her eyes and finished pouring the ink into the head matron’s tea, before she could finish her conversation with the nun on her left, “Don’t be such a baby,” Eliza scoffed, slipping the small glass bottle, now half-empty, back into the folds of her sleeves. Both girls sat back and once again, resumed eating their dull dinners with nervous stares.

After a few minutes, the head nun, Matron Criggs, sighed and picked up her teacup with two hands, inhaling the sweet fragrance, before she let herself indulge. The few other girls assembled at their table, watched with both horror and excitement as Matron Criggs raised the ceramic cup to her lips and swallowed the foreign liquid. After she had licked her newly blackened top teeth, she turned to the girls staring at her and frowned. “What are you looking at? Eyes down and eat your peas,” she scolded harshly. The girls obeyed. Maybe Matron Criggs did deserve to get ink in her tea. A chorus of metal scraping ceramic suddenly erupted, but the girls couldn’t help sneaking glances and holding in their laughter as the ink started to spread to Matron Criggs lips. Matron Criggs narrowed her eyes and scanned the guilty faces before her. “Do you think one of these girls is hiding something, Sister Emily?” Matron Criggs asked loudly, hoping to scare the guilty party into confessing.

Sister Emily, a young, pretty nun, tilted her head and looked up from her lumpy mashed potatoes. “Hiding something? I’m not sure what you, oh Matron!” she shouted, seeing the Matron’s teeth for the first time. “Your mouth, it’s black!”

“Black?” the Matron repeated, not surprised. With a quick snatch, she looked down into the teacup and saw the black ink swirling and rippling with the movement. “Ink in my tea,” she sneered. “Clever. And who was the little brat who came up with this latest scheme?” The group of girls assembled did their best to appear innocent, knowing the punishment that awaited the guilty party. Matron Criggs stared at each girl for two seconds each, until her eyes alighted on Eliza. Unlike the other girls who appeared scared and nervous, Eliza stared back at her defiantly, with a small smirk in the corner of her lips. “I should have known,” she spat. “Ms. Eliza Q. I believe it’s off to the box for you.”

Not saying a word, Eliza pushed back her plastic chair and stood up gracefully. “And I believe you really need to see a dentist,” she replied sweetly, batting her eyelashes. All of the girls gasped at Eliza’s bravery, or was it stupidity.

“Liza, stop it,” Millie hissed, grabbing a hold of her friend’s plaid skirt.

Matron Criggs smiled widely, exposing her foul smile, “Make that two days in the box!” Then, faster than a cobra striking, Matron Criggs was up and around the table before anyone could blink. “Let’s be off then, shall we?” Digging her sharp nails into Eliza’s skin, she grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her out of the dimly lit cafeteria. After a few twists and turns down the hallway, Matron Criggs bounced a set of brass keys in her hand, looking for the correct one. Finally she sorted it from the others and turned it forcefully in the lock. Then, without a sound, the well-oiled hinge swung open and only darkness could be seen from where they stood. “In you go, you little brat,” the Matron ordered happily, smiling another black smile as she pushed Eliza through the waist-high opening.

The box had once been a janitor closet, but Matron Criggs had done some redecorating. She had it shrunk down to accommodate nothing but a child, leaving no room for them to sit or stretch as they waited out their punishment. It was called “the box” for a reason, because it let in no light or fresh air and offered no reprieve for a weary offender. Today, the smell of urine poured forth heavily as the open door blew the odor outward. There was also no bathroom and if you had to go, you simply went. Eliza gritted her teeth and bent down to duck underneath the divider, only able to turn around and stare straight ahead. She had been a guest to the box many times but never before had she stayed in there for two whole days. Tiny shivers ran down her spine but she refused to say a word. Most girls cried and begged for another chance but not Eliza. She knew what her punishment would be when she smuggled the ink bottle out of the library and she was proud. Someone had to stand up to Matron Criggs and if she was the only one brave enough, then so be it.

“I hope you ate enough at dinner, because that’s all you’ll be getting until Thursday,” Matron Criggs laughed, “sweet dreams,” and then, with a clang, she slammed the door shut and total blackness enveloped Eliza.

Welcome to St. Agatha’s Home for Girls.  


	2. Chapter 2

Eliza awoke with a start as the metal door to her black prison smashed against the plaster walls. For the past two days, she had been trapped inside the box with no food, no water, no sunlight, no communication, and no hope. The purpose of the box was sensory deprivation. Matron Criggs believed that this form of punishment was effective in curtailing deviant behavior in the young girls, plus, she liked to hear them scream as the thick blackness took control.

“Come on out, my dear,” Sister Emily whispered gently. She hated the idea of the box, but Matron Criggs was the headmistress and her orders were never questioned. Sister Emily watched as Eliza’s black Mary Jane’s swiveled and scuffed the cement floor, while the young girl tried to maneuver her way out of the small cell. Finally, Eliza’s frizzled blonde hair snaked underneath the divider and she was free. The bright fluorescent lights lining the hallway burned her enlarged pupils and Eliza shrank away. “There, there,” Sister Emily comforted, careful not to touch the child. “It’s all over now. Perhaps this latest visit to the box will prevent further misconduct, hmmm?”

Eliza didn’t reply, instead she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around the sweet nun’s waist. She was glad Sister Emily had been the one to free her. If it had been Matron Criggs, Eliza probably would have stayed in the box for another day. “Now, now, none of that, my dear,” Sister Emily rebuffed lightly as she quickly untangled herself from Eliza’s embrace. Nervous that another sister, or worse, the Matron might have seen, Sister Emily pushed Eliza away and took two steps back before glancing down the hall in either direction. Thankfully, they were alone. Eliza’s lip trembled and she glanced at the floor. After two days of severe isolation, Sister Emily’s rejection was just too much. The nun saw Eliza’s tears and bent down to her level. “Please, Miss Eliza, no tears,” she said quietly. “You know the rules.” Eliza simply nodded. She did know the rules and rule number one was no physical contact. “Now, go clean up and get ready for dinner.”

Again, Eliza nodded and with a quiet sniffle and quick swipe of her hand, all evidence of her momentary weakness was gone. Sister Emily watched with a heavy heart as Eliza turned the corner and vanished from sight. She severely disagreed with the Matron’s ideals and principles and was glad when the Matron ordered her to release the girl. Every time they stepped out of the box, looking dejected and frightened, Sister Emily wanted to open her arms and hold them to her chest, to let them know that their lives weren’t always going to miserable. But that dream was impossible and she had to get a hold of her emotions before it was too late. Once Eliza’s footsteps tapered off, Sister Emily exhaled and turned in the opposite direction. She had been at St. Agatha’s for her entire life, first as a girl and now as a teacher. She desperately wished she could leave the Orphanage, but, like the girls, she had no where else to go.

“Eliza! You’re back!” Millie squealed excitedly as Eliza crossed the threshold into the girls’ shared room. She gave her friend a quick hug and then sat down on her bed. “What was it like in there for two days? You probably almost died.” Though shy, Millie had a wild imagination that even the Matron couldn’t break.

Eliza shrugged and threw herself down onto the stiff mattress. “It was fine. It smelled really bad but I think next time I’ll go for three days. It was a nice break,” she lied smoothly. Eliza hated being vulnerable, even around Millie, and she was constantly fabricating stories and lies to make herself seem tough. The two girls could not have been more different. Millie, who was short with light brown hair, blue eyes and pale skin, was brought to the orphanage two months ago when her family’s home burned to the ground, with her mother, father, and older brother inside. Millie had been at a friend’s house when it happened and was soon after taken to St. Agatha’s.

Before the accident, Millie had been adventurous but now, she rarely spoke to anyone but Eliza and only went on adventures in her dreams. She just hoped that a nice family would adopt her soon and take her out of the hell the fire had dropped her in.

Eliza, on the other hand, tall, blonde, with dark amber eyes, didn’t miss her family at all because she never had one. Her mother gave her away a long time ago and she had been kicked out of foster homes every few months ever since. Finally, her case worker reached her last straw and brought her to St. Agatha’s as a last resort, before juvenile hall. Eliza had only been there for five weeks but she already held the record for longest time in the box. Unlike Millie, Eliza didn’t harbor any dreams of being adopted. She had already lived with seven families, all who eventually gave her away because she had a hard time playing with their actual children. Basically, they didn’t want her. Why would family number eight be any different?Each night, when Millie prayed for a nice family to find her, Eliza planned her escape. Adoption was a lost cause for her; the only way to get out was to run.

Millie wrinkled her nose as the stench of old and new urine permeated the small room. “Wow, you weren’t kidding, you reek!” she cried, immediately plugging her nose.

“I know, I know,” Eliza laughed, remaining on the bed, “I should probably shower before dinner.”

“Well, yeah! I think I need one too, you did hug me. Now I’m smelly,” Millie frowned and rose to her feet, ready to get away from the gross smell. Eliza did the same and as the girls were exiting the room, Millie turned to her friend and lifted her eyebrow. “Would you really have stayed in there for another whole day?” Eliza shrugged and grabbed her ratty purple towel. Millie simply rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, “You’re such a liar, but I’m glad you’re back.”


	3. Chapter 3

A few days after Eliza’s release from the box, the two girls were sitting in the dry field behind the orphanage. It was a rare occurrence that they were allowed outside but adoption day was tomorrow and Matron Criggs wanted the girls to look healthy. So, at quarter to nine, the Matron kicked the girls outside and locked the doors until dinner time and told them to put some color in their cheeks. Normally, the girls didn’t mind escaping the confines of the orphanage, but today the clouds threatened a heavy rain and the wind was blowing fiercely. They knew better than to ask to come in though. Matron Criggs had left them out in a hurricane before, so a little rain certainly wasn’t going to change her mind.

  
Eliza glanced to the towering shrubbery encircling the yard and wished that she was tall enough to jump over it. There were no toys, no swing sets, and no jungle gyms, nothing to help pass the hours away. A few girls were sitting or leaning against the brick walls as they watched the rest play Red Rover or tag. Millie and Eliza were sitting off by themselves, close to the edge of the yard. Millie didn’t like all the yelling and shouting that went into backyard games and Eliza was banned from playing them after she broke another girl’s nose playing freeze tag. Eliza yanked out a fistful of dry, scratchy grass while Millie carefully pulled each individual strand out, until she had collected a sizeable bouquet.

  
For several days now, Eliza had been contemplating telling Millie about her plan to escape. She didn’t want to run alone, but she knew Millie was delicate and was fearful that she would say no, just because. The worst that could happen would that they would be brought back, well Millie would, it’d be off to juvenile hall for Eliza. Millie was humming softly to herself, an old lullaby that her mother used to sing to help her fall asleep. Eliza didn’t know why but the sound irritated her and she threw the handful of dead grass at her friend.

  
“Will you stop singing that stupid song?” Eliza yelled, without any real anger.

  
Millie looked hurt for a moment but then presented Eliza with her carefully picked grass arrangement. “Sorry, Eliza,” she whispered quietly, “I won’t sing it anymore.”

  
Eliza instantly felt sorry for yelling. Millie was her only friend, “No, its okay, I’m sorry. I’m just mad that we’re here.”

  
“What do you mean?” Millie asked, her attention once again distracted by the grass.

  
“Aren’t you tired of living here?” Eliza started carefully. “Don’t you want to just run away and start living your own life, where you can play whenever you want and you don’t have to hide in fear of old craggle face?”

  
Millie shrugged and turned to face her friend, “Of course, but that’s why tomorrow is so special. It’s Adoption Day and if we pray hard enough, maybe a family will take us away.”

  
“But what if they don’t, Millie?” Eliza answered, glumly. Suddenly, a thought that hadn’t occurred to her before, flashed in her mind. “What happens if you get adopted and I don’t? I’ll be stuck here forever without you.” Her most recent thought scared her more than any punishment Matron Criggs could cook up. It didn’t matter how hard the rulers hit or how dark the box was. All of that was bearable because Millie was there.

  
Eliza’s worry caught Millie off guard. Never had she thought they both wouldn’t get adopted. Placing the grass at her side, Millie scooted closer to Eliza and placed her hand over her friend’s. “Don’t worry, Eliza,” she whispered. “We’ll find a place where we both belong. Where we’ll be treated like Princesses and will get to eat all the sweets we want!”

  
A small smile pulled at Eliza’s mouth as she listened to Millie’s imagination. If only a place like that existed, she would go there in a heartbeat. The morning passed without much excitement. The rest of the girls cycled from one game to the other, with only minor scrapes and bruises. Eliza and Millie were having fun creating perfect worlds, where they would live when they grew up.

  
“And I will be surrounded by kittens!” Millie expressed, delightedly. “At least twenty-three at all times. Little orange ones with stripes, black ones with white spots and brown ones with bushy tails.”

  
“Oh yeah, well when I grow up I’ll be a fashion model and fly all over the world in my private jet filled with…cotton candy and orange soda!” Eliza giggled and the two friends laughed wildly.

  
Just then, the dark clouds opened up and unleashed a torrent of rain. All of the girls screamed as a boom of thunder sounded and they ran for cover underneath the narrow roof. Eliza and Millie however, were too far away from the building to seek shelter in time and they were thoroughly drenched in a matter of seconds. Millie started to run in the direction of the orphanage but Eliza pulled her back by her arm and motioned toward the tall shrubs nearby. The girls ran quickly for cover and leapt underneath the dry leaves.

  
“Whoa,” Millie cried, “It’s pouring! Like Heaven decided to open up.”

  
“Yeah, it sure is,” Eliza agreed, testing how much clearance they had underneath the bushes and sat up. “Lucky these shrubs were big enough to fit us. Otherwise, we’d be like drowned rats right now.”

  
Millie glanced down at her soaked blouse and plaid skit and smiled, “Um, I’m pretty sure we’re already drowned rats.” The girls giggled together as another clap of thunder and a flash of lightning lit up the sky.

  
“How long do you think she’ll leave us out here?” Millie wondered.

  
“Probably until the dinner bell,” Eliza said with a scoff. They’d all be lucky if they caught pneumonia. At least they’d be able to escape to the hospital for a few days.  
The rain continued to hammer down on the dry grass, instantly transforming the parched field to a soupy, mud puddle. Great, now they’d get in trouble for getting their clothes soiled.

  
“What was that?” Millie suddenly cried out, spinning around to look at the crisscrossing branches behind her. Eliza turned and peered behind her as well but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “There it is again,” Millie whispered, a mixture of fear and curiosity causing her to crawl forward.

  
“Millie, what are you talking about?” Eliza questioned, eagerly. Even though she didn’t see anything, she knew that Millie had. Millie didn’t lie.

  
“Shh, Eliza, it’ll here you,” Millie warned, crawling another few feet until she reached the other side.

  
“What will hear me?” Eliza went on, lowering her voice significantly.

  
“Them,” Millie answered slowly as she raised her finger and pointed to something Eliza still couldn’t see.

  
Craning her neck to get a better look, Eliza crawled as close to Millie as she could but only the rain greeted her searching gaze. After a few minutes, Eliza scoffed and sat back on her heels. “There’s nothing there, Millie, you liar.”

  
Millie spun around and shot Eliza a dark look. “No, I’m not, Liza,” she said strongly, her bright blue eyes unwavering.

  
“Whatever,” Eliza sneered, unconvinced. She began to wiggle her way back to face the orphanage when Millie grabbed her arm.

  
“Wait, Eliza, let’s try to find them again,” she said, gently. She wanted her friend to believe her and was sad that she couldn’t see.

  
Eliza hesitated for a second. Part of her didn’t want to be humiliated if Millie had been making it up but the other part was curious to see it too. Even though the rain only seemed to increase, the girls left the shelter of the bushes and set off into the surrounding woods. St. Agatha’s was situated in southern Louisiana, surrounded by miles of swamps and wetlands. The location was chosen specifically for the landscape and designed to keep the girls within the grounds. There was a report of one girl who tried to run away several years ago and after searching for a few days, officers found only her arm. Her death had been chalked up to alligators and it was a perfect cautionary tale for the rest of the girls at St. Agatha’s. You run away, you die.

  
Carefully, Millie and Eliza navigated their way along the solid ground, weaving in and out of bald cypress trees and hanging vines. After several minutes, Millie pulled Eliza down into a crouch and pointed forward once more. “There, do you see them?”

  
This time, Eliza narrowed her eyes and tried to see around the falling raindrops. Then, finally, she saw it. It was a flash of silver that seemed to dance around the rain. Up and down and sideways the silver light flew, captivating the girls’ attention. Suddenly, another flash of silver burned across their gaze just feet from them and Eliza glanced down, anxious to identify the beautiful dancer.

  
Disappointment made her smile falter as she looked down and saw only a silver dragonfly. “Is that it, a dragonfly? Geez, Millie, why didn’t you tell me?” Eliza demanded, now angry that she had risked getting even more wet to see a bug.

  
Millie withdrew her attention from the faraway silver spot and looked up at Eliza, confused. “They’re not dragonflies. They’re something else,” she insisted, once again pulling her friend closer.

  
Fed up, Eliza threw off Millie’s grasp and crossed her arms. “No, Millie, I’m done. “I’m cold and wet and mad that you brought me all the way out here to look at a bug. And not even a pretty one, an ugly, gross bug!” Immediately, Eliza turned and began walking back to the orphanage, the tall shrubs still visible from where they stood.

  
“Eliza, please, wait! Don’t go!” Millie yelled, trying to catch up to her friend. Eliza stopped her progress and let the long vine that she was holding fall. Millie was encouraged by that and ran in front. “Just hang on a second. I did see something!”

  
“Yeah, a dragonfly, sorry to burst your bubble but I’ve seen them like a hundred times,” Eliza replied.

  
“But, Liza, this wasn’t a dragonfly, it was something else, I swear,” Millie tried to say as convincingly as she could. Why didn’t Eliza believe her?

  
Eliza sighed and cocked her head. She knew Millie never lied, but she hadn’t seen anything. Why was she so determined to make her believe? “I don’t know, Millie,” she sighed again. “Why didn’t I see them?”

  
“You did, Liza,” Millie smiled, happy that her friend was considering the possibility. “When we looked together, remember? The second one was a dragonfly but the first…I think it might have been a fairy.”

  
Eliza laughed and her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She never should have let Millie take her in the first place, “A Fairy? Millie, fairies aren’t real. Stop letting your imagination get the best of you.”

  
Millie crossed her arms and pulled her eyebrows together. “It was too,” she said, trying not to sound childish. “I saw them and you saw them too, just believe me!”  
Another roar of thunder echoed overhead, causing the two girls to scream in fright. “Come on, Millie, forget it, let’s go back!”

  
A flash of bright lightning sizzled above them and Millie eagerly took Eliza’s offered hand. Then, as fast as the girls dared to go, they ran back through the swamp until they reached the dry covering of shrubs once more. Peering through the leaves as they caught their breath, Eliza saw Sister Emily heralding everyone inside. She was confused for a moment. Surely it couldn’t be six o’clock yet. Once all the girls had retreated inside, Sister Emily stepped out into the rain and cupped her hands around her mouth.

  
“What’s Sister Emily doing?” Millie asked, concerned for the sweet nun.

  
The pair watched the sister walk around the yard for a few minutes and could just barely make out her words over the rain. “Where are you? Eliza, Millie, where are you?”

  
Millie’s eyes widened in understanding, “She’s looking for us! Come on, quick, before we get in trouble.” The girls ducked out from under the bushes and ran as fast as they could toward the open door. Just as more thunder screamed overhead, they reached the building and Sister Emily.

  
“Thank goodness, where have you two been?” Sister Emily scolded. “I was so worried that something had happened to you.” She gently touched each of the girls’ chins as she looked into their eyes for a split second before she heard a gruff cough behind her.

  
“Sister Emily,” Matron Criggs addressed. “On whose authority did you let these children inside?”

  
The sister instantly dropped her hands to her sides and spun around to face the Matron. “No one’s, Matron Criggs,” she admitted, her face draining color.  
“Well then, why are they inside?” Matron Criggs asked, innocently.

  
Sister Emily hesitated for a moment, knowing that her efforts would be punished as soon as possible, “The weather was getting increasingly dangerous, Matron. I was worried for the girls’ safety.”

  
Matron Criggs closed the distance between herself and Emily, smiling darkly. “You know perfectly well that your actions were out of line, Sister,” she said calmly. “Therefore we shall discuss the necessary discipline for your actions in my office as soon as you’re through with these brats.” Then, with a harsh look at Eliza and Millie, Matron Criggs pivoted on her heels and walked away.

  
Once she was out of ear shot, Eliza turned to Sister Emily. “We’re sorry we got you in trouble. We were just taking shelter from the rain and didn’t hear you calling us.”

  
Sister Emily smiled weakly and interlaced her hands in front of her, “No need to apologize, my dear. But you better be off and please, stay out of trouble.” Without another word, the nun spun on her heel and walked crisply toward the Matron’s office, a cold chill already spreading through her veins.

  
Several hours later, both Eliza and Millie lay in their beds discussing what they had seen at dinner. Sister Emily had arrived very late and there was a large, purpling bruise taking shape just under her eye on her left cheek. Millie had barely said a word since arriving back at the orphanage, convinced that it was their fault for sneaking off that afternoon. Eliza however, was even more determined to escape and after trekking through the trees, she was confident that they would be able to get away and survive the dangers of the swamps. Tomorrow was Adoption Day and then, everything would go back to the way it was. If she wanted to escape, tomorrow was her only shot. Matron Criggs and the other nuns would be too busy parading the future donators around, to pay any attention to her. Eliza opened her mouth to relate her plan to Millie but heard her soft, even breathing and knew she was already asleep. She pulled her thin blanket up to her chin, already dreaming about her perfect world beyond the orphanage yard.

  
But what Eliza didn’t know, was that Millie was far from sleep. She had made it well known to her friend that she was looking forward to Adoption Day but after her discovery in the swamp, she wasn’t so sure anymore. She had seen something and while the chaos of Adoption Day descended on the orphanage, she was going to take advantage and wander back to the swamp; she just hoped Eliza would be up for another peek.  
 


	4. Chapter 4

As the small hand on the clock inched closer and closer to noon, the orphanage was deathly silent as Matron Criggs finished her speech. “And furthermore, if I see or hear any of you complaining or talking in whispers to any adult, you shall immediately be placed in the box,” she sneered. “Always remember that we provide food, a roof over your head and the necessary amount of interaction for you to thrive.”

  
“More like to die,” Eliza mumbled under her breath. A few of the girls around her laughed quietly, without averting their attention from the Matron. If they were lucky enough, today might be their last day under the titan’s reign. Eliza smiled to herself as Matron Criggs eyed her specifically. Today was definitely going to be her last day taking orders from old Crig.

  
“Now,” the Matron continued, “The parents will be arriving in a few minutes. Once I have taken them for a tour of our wonderful orphanage, you will have two hours to meet them. As the weather is sunny and warm today, you will be kept in the yard. If a parent would like to adopt you, they will speak with me and we shall see what arrangements can be made. Have fun and remember to smile,” Matron Criggs finished strongly, emphasizing the last word. If the parents saw what a warm and happy environment the children were being raised in, they would give more money.

  
After the conclusion of the speech, the girls were herded out into the yard and they gasped in shock and surprise. The dry, scratchy patches had been transformed into beautiful, soft, green grass and numerous toys such as jump ropes, skip-its, hula-hoops, and dolls, were scattered around the front door. Instantly, the girls went wild, grabbing a new toy and happily playing together. Eliza scrunched up her nose as Millie whispered wow.

  
“Where did all of these toys come from?” Millie asked, eyeing a pretty doll with curly brown hair, similar to her own.

  
Eliza pulled Millie out of ear shot of the supervising nuns and plucked the new doll out of her friend’s hold. “Don’t believe it for a second, Millie,” she pleaded. “Matron Criggs gave us all of these new toys just to make herself look good. Just you wait, as soon as the adults are gone, she’ll snatch them all away until the next Adoption Day.”

  
Millie frowned, skeptical of Eliza’s rant. She hated the Matron, just like everyone else, but maybe she had changed and life at the orphanage wouldn’t be so bad anymore. “I don’t know, Eliza,” she said, shaking her head as she took the doll back and cradled it to her chest. “Maybe things will be different.”

  
“They won’t, Millie,” she stressed, preparing to relay her plan for escape. “Just follow me and we can...” she started to say but was cut off by the door banging open beside them. All of the girls stopped their games as they turned and regarded the new adults. There had to be at least ten couples, never had there been that many. As they all filed outside, Eliza knew every girl was weighing her chance of getting adopted. Well, she was going to make it easy for them by taking herself out of the running and hopefully, Millie too.

  
Millie watched with wide eyes as the couples started to fan out and say hi to all of the girls. Last night, she had been so excited to go back to the swamp but that desire was growing smaller the longer she held the new doll and watched her could-be-parents search for her. She could leave the orphanage, have a room to herself, and maybe even get a kitten! She just needed to find the right mom and dad.

  
Sensing Millie’s thoughts, Eliza decided that she better act first, explain later. Taking hold of her friend once more, Eliza whispered to Millie and instantly the two started to run to the other side of the field. Eliza thought they were home free when she felt her arm jerk back and spun around. In their mad dash, the girls hadn’t been paying attention and Millie collided with a young woman. Both her and the lady laughed as they nursed sore bruises and exchanged apologizes.

  
“Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even see you,” the pretty lady said, crouching down to Millie’s height. “Are you alright?”  
Millie was speechless for a moment as she looked at the woman. She was very pretty and looked to be in her early thirties. She had shiny brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail and Millie couldn’t help but notice that their hair color matched. The woman smiled at her with bright white teeth and Millie liked the smell of her perfume.  
“My name is Olivia,” the woman said, reaching out her hand to Millie.

  
Millie grasped it lightly and shook it, “I’m Millie,” she whispered with a small smile.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you,” Olivia said. “My husband and I are here today looking for a little girl.”

  
“Do you have any kids?” Millie asked, excitedly.

  
Olivia sadly shook her head and frowned, “No, we don’t. I can’t have any children, which is why we are here today.”

  
“Oh,” was all Millie said, distracted by Eliza’s waving. “Um, that’s my friend, Eliza.” She pointed to Eliza and blushed, already regretting the introduction. What if Olivia liked Eliza better?

  
Olivia looked over her shoulder and waved to Eliza. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, warmly.

  
“Hi,” was all Eliza said, not trusting the woman’s blue eyes and fake smile. Her other “mothers” had been nice at first too, all smiles and laughs, until she started to get into trouble. The nice-act only lasted for so long before the snarls and shouts rang out. “I’m sorry to interrupt but Millie and I have to go somewhere,” Eliza instructed, stepping in front of Millie.

  
“But Eliza,” Millie started to whine, before her friend gave her hand a hard squeeze.

  
Olivia’s smile faltered as she perceived Eliza’s hostile tone. “Oh, okay. Are you girls off on an adventure?” she asked, hoping to be included.

  
“Yes,” Eliza replied curtly and started to pull Millie away.

  
“Well, it was nice to meet you both,” Olivia called after them, wishing she could follow. She had wanted a little girl for so long and when she and her husband had finally decided to adopt, she couldn’t get the idea out her mind. She had felt an instant connection to Millie but the other girl’s hold on her was quite protective and Olivia wasn’t sure Millie could overcome her shyness to talk to her again. She watched with sadness as the pair ran off to the edge of the yard and didn’t look back.

  
Once they reached the tall shrubs, Millie let go out Eliza’s hand and glanced behind her at Olivia. She was so nice and had even looked like her! “Eliza, why did you do that?” she wondered, quietly.

  
Eliza tossed her long hair over her shoulder and crouched down to enter the swamp through the bushes. “Oh, come on, Millie, she wasn’t going to adopt you. They all start off so nice but once you misbehave once, they don’t like you anymore and they send you away. Trust me, you don’t need her.”

  
Millie looked back once more toward the rest of the girls and saw Olivia speaking to another child. Maybe Eliza was right and now that she was so close to the swamps, the pull to go back had returned, stronger than ever. “Okay, so what are we doing now?”

  
“Just follow me, Millie,” Eliza began, “we’re going to get out of here.”

  
“Get out how?” Millie asked, bending down and following Eliza through to the other side of the shrub.

  
“We’ll go through the swamp,” Eliza explained, getting to her feet. “We walked through it yesterday without a problem, right? Now we can do the same today and this time, we won’t go back! If we walk far enough, eventually we’ll come to a road or someone’s house and we can live together without the box, without hard beds, and without Matron Criggs! We’ll be free, Mills!”

  
Millie bit her lip, hesitantly, “But Liza, what about Celia? She tried to run away too remember but the gators got her. All they could find was her arm,” she squeaked in fright. “I don’t want to be eaten.”

  
Eliza waved her worries away and started to follow the same path they had yesterday. “Oh, Millie, that was years ago. I bet those alligators are dead by now,” she scoffed.

  
Millie glanced down at the pretty doll she still held in her hands. She didn’t have anything with her, not that her extra set of clothes and an old blanket was much but at least they were something. And the picture of her family was still sitting on her desk! She couldn’t leave that behind. “Eliza, wait, I can’t go. I left my picture,” she started to cry, already trying to remember her mother’s face.

  
Eliza quickly back-tracked and wrapped Millie in a warm hug, “Don’t worry, Mills, we’ll get it. Once we’re safely away from Criggs we can go back and get it, okay?”

  
With a weak nod, Millie tried to dry her tears and held on even tighter to the doll. “Okay,” she answered and without another word, the girls started off on their adventure.  
Not long after, Millie’s sniffles dissipated and her desire to be adopted vanished. Now, she was overcome with a great need to find the silver fairy again. They had been walking about fifteen minutes however and still saw no sign of them. Millie was about to speak her concern when suddenly, the same silver flash from yesterday streaked across her vision. Millie perked up in delight and stopped walking, following the dancing color only with her eyes. The swirling streak dove into a large fern, sprinkling silver dust over the green leaves. Careful not to alert it, Millie tiptoed over to the sparkling spot and gently brushed her fingertips across the silver powder. Instantly, the bright dust seemed to disappear once it came into contact with her skin, but as Millie held her hand in the sunlight, she saw that she too was shining like the leaves.  
“How beautiful,” Millie whispered and she started to brush more of the silver powder onto her skin, arms and neck. “Now I’m a fairy too,” she giggled and heard a much higher one in return. Shocked, Millie watched as the large leaves parted and the small, delicate, silver color rose out of the darkness. “Wow,” she breathed wide-eyed, hardly believing what she was seeing. The fairy didn’t resemble any description the books and movies painted.

  
Instead of the typical pink fairies, dressed in pretty dresses made out of flowers, this fairy was made up of nothing but silver and shadows. She had a pretty, angular face, with dark black eyes and long silver hair that bounced and swayed with her movements. Her wings did look like the wings of a dragonfly.  They were spidery, with long, thin webs hanging off of them. Rather than the petal-like dress she had been expecting, the fairy was clad in nothing but well-placed shadows and black rags that seemed to float around her petite body like billowing smoke. The fairy also had long arms, thin fingers, and a smile surrounded by silver lips. She didn’t speak, only laughed and sang a few high-pitched notes before she flew over and gently placed her lips on Millie’s outstretched fingertip.  
Millie jerked back with a start and realized that the fairy had bitten her. She pulled her injured finger to her chest and watched as a drop of bright red blood, swelled to the surface and then rolled down her shining skin, collecting the silver powder until it too, was covered in it.

  
The silver fairy fluttered around her head with the jerky movement of a dragonfly and it took Millie a few moments to understand that she was speaking to her. The fairy sang a high note of welcome and even though she spoke in a language Millie had never heard before, she was thrilled to know she could still understand her.

  
About a hundred yards away, Eliza suddenly realized that she no longer heard the sound of Millie following her and glanced back to confirm her suspicion. All that greeted her gaze was a few towering bald cyrpress trees, looming out of the murky water like silent giants. “Millie?” she anxiously called, scanning the quiet trees around her. “Mills?” she called again, this time louder. Just then, a loud buzzing sound zipped by her ear, followed by a streak of bright silver. Eliza shook her head as the dragonfly disappeared, at least, she thought it had been a dragonfly, but there was something off about it. She took a step in the direction she had come when another one flew by her, this time pausing for a second in front of her. Eliza gasped in surprise as she saw the small body of a woman, dressed in black cloth, smile at her. Is this what Millie saw? Could there be fairies in the swamps? The fairy waved her tiny fingers forward and Eliza couldn’t help herself from following. In the back of her mind, there was a spark of memory. Why was the fairy familiar? She tried to concentrate and retrieve the memory but a black wall slammed down just as the fairy sped away. Suddenly panicked, she ran blindly for a few minutes, not paying attention to the landscape around her, only to the small silver dancer in front of her. Where was Millie?

  
Suddenly, Eliza lost her footing and splashed into the cold water below the raised roots. Instantly, the happy feelings from a second ago vanished as her mind began to display gut wrenching images of hidden alligators lurking beneath her in the muddy water. Scrambling to get out of the water, Eliza pulled herself back onto the grassy bank and felt her mouth drop open in astonishment. There, standing before her was Millie, but she looked completely different. No longer did she stand with her back hunched and her eyes downcast. Now, she stood straight, almost regal, with her head and chin held high as her bright eyes surveyed the beautiful hidden world before her. While Eliza stumbled to her feet, she felt a cold shiver run through her as she looked at Millie again. There was something different about her, something wrong. She took a step closer and felt the water swish inside her shoe and brushed off the uncomfortable feeling as a result of her fall into the water.  
“Millie, what happened to you?” Eliza whispered. Now that she was closer, she could see that Millie was shining, sparkling like a diamond in the sunshine from her cheeks to the tips of her hair.

  
As Eliza advanced closer, Millie suddenly seemed to snap out of her trance and threw up her hands. “Liza, stop!” she warned, jumping into a panic. Eliza froze and waited for Millie to explain. “It’s alright, you’re safe, she didn’t crush it,” Millie said, pulling her eyes away from Eliza.

  
Sensing the danger was gone; Eliza completed her step and made her way to where Millie stood. “Mills, what’s going on? Did you see them? Did you see the fairy?” she asked, excitedly.

  
“Of course, I’m one of them now,” Millie replied, cryptically. “We’re in their world now,” she gestured to the quiet swamp.

  
“Their world, but how? I only see the swamp,” Eliza said, disappointed that she couldn’t see again.

  
Millie turned to her and smiled brightly, but there was something behind her eyes that didn’t belong. “Just wait and you will,” she answered, only furthering the mystery.  
Eliza furrowed her brow and waited to see another fairy again while Millie only smiled and watched her. Then, with a swirl of her wrist, Millie brushed some nearby vines and ferns, launching dormant silver powder into the air. The pretty dust seemed magnetized to Eliza’s skin and quickly settled along the light hairs coating her arms. Eliza raised her hand in front of her and saw her skin shining in the same manner that Millie’s did. “Wow,” she whispered, starting to feel her skin tingle and glow as the sunlight brightened.

  
A quick pinch brought her out of her daze and she glanced down to see two tiny drops of blood fall onto the leaves below. Like Millie’s, as the blood came into contact with the powder, it transformed from red to silver and just like that, the sight was bestowed onto Eliza. From the moment before the bite to the moment after, everything changed. Eliza stood still and watched with fascination as the landscape flashed and the vines and trees and water were glazed in a silver mist. It resembled a winter fairytale, but this vision dealt more with darkness and shadows than the bright golden sun and fluffy snow.

  
Millie, aware that Eliza had also been invited into the fairy realm, turned her head and smiled at her friend. They were home.


End file.
